Who Were The Sons Of God In Genesis 6?

…when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. Genesis 6:1-4

I think God went to great lengths to make the Bible an interesting and mysterious book. One that would hold our attention and provoke us to study. While the basic doctrines of the Christian faith are explicitly and plainly stated in the Word of God (with multiple witnesses), there are many truths in the Scriptures which are not so clearly expressed. Some are scattered like pieces of a puzzle throughout the pages of the Bible, and must be gathered into your understanding by much prayerful study, and then sorted out and pieced together.

Then there is another category altogether. Mysterious segments of Scripture which raise serious questions; of which we are given little assistance answering by the remainder of the Bible. One such passage is Genesis 6:1-4. The wording of these verses has led many to believe that fallen angels took wives of human women, and produced hybrid offspring. Others absolutely reject that idea. This debate has been ongoing since the days of the early Church. Here are my thoughts on the matter.

Over the years I have spent some considerable time looking into this notion of devils siring children. While I am open to the possibility, and do enjoy checking out the writing and preaching many do on this issue, I must confess I remain so far unconvinced. There are still quite a number of roadblocks that keep me from driving down that street. Too many things which don’t fit; too many questions which are not addressed in a straight forward manner, but are side-stepped to present hyperbole and unsupported claims. And above all else a concerning lack of Scripture upon which to base such teaching.

How Were These Supposed Hybrids Conceived?

If devils sired children with human women one of three things had to have happened. Either 1.) they had the power to over-shadow a woman and cause conception in a similar manner as the Holy Ghost did with Mary, 2.) they possessed a human male and used his body, or 3.) they themselves had a physical body with male genitalia. Let’s examine each of these theories for validity:

1.) They had the power to over-shadow a woman and cause conception in a similar manner as the Holy Ghost did with Mary. I would dismiss this first one pronto for this reason: There is nothing in the totality of the Scriptures which even hints at the notion of a devil having the power to supernaturally create life. Only an omnipotent God himself has that power.

2.) They possessed a human male and used his body. My question here is: why would that produce giant offspring with supernatural abilities? Would a devil have the ability to alter a man’s semen to produce an altered species of gigantic supermen? I suggest that there are here, on good old planet earth, many men possessed by devils impregnating women every day of the week; and we don’t see a race of giants among us today do we?

3.) They themselves had a physical body with male genitalia. Although it is plainly shown in Scripture that holy angels do at times appear in human form there is nothing given us to indicate they actually become flesh and blood. And there are NO examples of devils assuming human form to be found in the Bible.

Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire: Psalms 104:4

Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? Hebrews 1:14

Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. Luke 24:39

All angels, and therefore ALL devils are spirit beings. Jesus clearly stated that a spirit DOES NOT have flesh and bone. How is a devil going to impregnate a woman without a flesh and blood body to place seed in her womb? The concept of fallen angels taking on a physical body that can reproduce is not taught in any fashion by God’s Word, it is merely unsupported supposition.

(FOOD 4 THOUGHT: Why would Satan have to possess a man, the Antichrist, to rule the world in the final years of this age? If devils have the ability to do so, why would he not just appear in a human form, and declare himself to be God?)

For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. Matthew 22:30

Angels do not marry or have sex. Remember that devils used to be angels of Heaven. God did not create angels to procreate. They are eternal beings. Do you think God would have given them sexual desire or reproductive organs? To what purpose?

Do Angels Have DNA?

I hear people talk about ‘angelic DNA’ mixing with human DNA, with the result being gigantic supernatural beings, and I have to go: ‘Wait a minute!’.Where did devils get a hold of ‘angelic DNA’ (as if there were such a thing)? DNA is physical cellular material that God created as part of the reproductive process. Angels are spirits! What need would there have been to create them with the reproductive sequencing of DNA. The idea is ridiculous, and flies in the face of the words of Jesus that angels DO NOT have flesh!

(FOOD 4 THOUGHT: Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: Isaiah 42:5

…the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.Zechariah 12:1

God gives the spirit of life to a being. Where did the devils get a spirit to place into their spawn? Are we to believe God was looking on and said: ‘Well I really don’t approve of what is going on here, but I suppose I better give these hybrid creations a spirit!’ Sorry! I just don’t buy that.)

The Book Of Enoch Has Been Proven False

Many cite a ‘book of Enoch’ as proof of the fallen angels siring children theory. There is no validity to that book at all. We don’t know who wrote it or when; or if it is even quoted in the Bible for sure. Jude may have been merely quoting oral tradition. There are so many errors and contradictions to Scripture in what is called the book of Enoch; it cannot be considered a credible source of information. Search ‘Book of Enoch refuted’ and you will come up with a wealth of info on the error presented in that writing.

It speaks of giants growing to 450 feet tall! Give me a break! Do you know how big that is? It’s the size of a 40 story skyscraper for crying out loud. Yes there are giants in the Bible. But there is nothing in the Bible to indicate the giants of those days were much larger than the giants of our days. Or that they possessed supernatural powers. We have no clear Scriptural evidence to show they were anything more than abnormally large humans with deformities who could kick some major backside in battle.

When Doctrine Conflicts With Scripture

And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, 2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. 3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. 4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. Genesis 6:1-4

Two of the greatest roadblocks to my accepting the notion of fallen angels siring children come from the very wording of the passage in question.

1.) The theory in review states that the giants were the offspring of the fallen angels. But the wording in verse 4 reads that there werealready giants in the land; and the Sons of God (who ever they were) taking the daughters of men came AFTER THAT! (The children of my marriage to my wife were not in existence before I met my wife. See the problem there?) Also notice carefully it does NOT say the children of these marriages were giants! It merely says they were mighty men of ‘renown’. King David was a man of great renown. So was Moses, Joshua, Samson, and Daniel. All were of great renown, but NONE were giants. Where did anyone get that the children of these marriages were giants? Not from this passage!

Could it be that the giants themselves were in fact the ones who took the daughters of men and produced offspring of great renown? I do not know that answer, but I have read some very interesting notions written about the godly sons of Seth, or exalted rulers among the nations being the ones who took the daughters of men to wife. I am NOT saying any of these speculations are what happened, but they make just as much sense to me as the ‘devils marrying women’ theory. More actually!

2.) One of the biggest things that gives me pause is the fact the anger God expressed over all this was directed AT MAN! If some rotten devils were taking women, marrying them, and producing a tainted hybrid offspring then THEY would be the ones at fault here, not the human men. So why would God direct his anger at man over it? Why doesn’t Genesis 6:3 (above) say something along the line of: “I sure am angry at those fallen angels for polluting my creation. I will not always put up with those devils!” But no, he directed his anger at man; and that strongly steers me to believe it was the actions of human beings discussed in Genesis 6 and NOT fallen angelic beings.

The Serpent Seed Error

When examining a doctrine I like to take it on down the road, so to speak, and see where it leads to. William Branham (1909-1965) was a very anointed Preacher and Evangelist who later in life strayed into a teaching ministry he was not called to; and brought forth serious error that to this day is still hindering many believers.

His ‘Serpent Seed’ teachings revolved around the notion that intercourse between devil and woman produced a tainted bloodline of damned souls which many believe still carries on to this day. Taken to the extreme (which many have) this teaching becomes a false Gospel of salvation by lineage; a salvation dependent upon what blood flows in your veins; instead of faith in the Blood that flowed from the veins of the Savior. There is nothing in the Bible which says the bloodline of mankind was ever tainted with ‘Evil DNA’.

(FOOD 4 THOUGHT: The Bible teaches marriage is honorable, and the marriage bed sanctified: (Hebrews 13:4) What interest would a devil have with the honorable institution of marriage? Would a devil fall in love with a woman and want to get married, settle down, and raise a family? Kind of ruins the whole ‘kill, steal, and destroy’ image doesn’t it? (Hope their boss don’t find out; could be serious trouble!)

Wouldn’t they just be prone to raping, robbing. and abusing women (if they could) as their fallen condition dictates? I mean seriously, a devil getting married and having a family? Does that in any way jive with the description we are given in the Scriptures of the minions of Satan? Frankly, I just don’t see it.)

The Days Of Noah And Lot

There are many teaching wild unsupported claims (possibly true but probably not) about what took place in ancient times; and what is worse is how they wrest the words of Jesus to validate their theories of similar events taking place in the end-time scenario. But what did Jesus really say (or NOT say) about the days of Noah and Lot? Let me give you a quote from my book ‘The Rapture Theory’ available for free download in PDF, E-PUB, or KINDLE (AZW3).

And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from Heaven, and destroyed them all. 30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. Luke 17:26-30

Many use a twisted interpretation of these verses to promote a number of false teachings about the end-times. They say Jesus was comparing the conditions of society and moral decay, of our age and theirs, in these passages. But I see NOTHING in this passage about the decay of society or even a mention of the sinfulness of the people (or of fallen angels siring monster children). The focus was on the fact that life was just going on as usual until judgment fell. I would have to agree there are many similarities between our day and theirs, but pointing that out was not his objective at all. He was making just ONE significant point!

The explicit focus of these allegories was the similarity of the sudden destruction following the deliverance of the Righteous. The very same day the door was closed on the ark God’s wrath began to descend upon mankind. The very same day Lot left Sodom and entered Zoar destruction rained down upon the people. The same day Jesus returns, and resurrects/catches away the Righteous, sudden destruction will once again fall upon mankind. This is the specific point, and the only point, Jesus was trying to get across. Same day – sudden destruction!

Jesus DID NOT say life on earth in the end-times would be a re-creation of the days of Noah and Lot! He said the sudden destruction that will ensue at his Return would be like that of those days. To say Jesus was teaching that the end-time events would perfectly mirror those of the days of Noah and Lot; (or that he was saying there will be hybrid humans once again in the earth) is ADDING to the Word of God.

The days of Noah and Lot did not even mirror each other! Noah and Lot lived in two separate worlds. One before the flood and one after. In one world the people were destroyed by water; and in the other one by fire. How could our day match two days that don’t even match each other? Think about that.

Are there similarities between their days and ours? Yes! And some of those similarities are quite obvious. But PLEASE understand this: To ignore the evident specificity of Jesus’ statement (same day – sudden destruction) and turn his words into a generalized statement, into which can be thrown whatever notions you may have, is a gross mistreatment of God’s Word.

Some will take great exception to those words, and possibly even pitch a fit; but I suggest you prayerfully consider them.

Adding in things to the Word of God is a very dangerous practice! (Revelation 22:18-19)

The Bottom Line

I have heard many interesting ideas about what really took place in Genesis 6. There is a lot of information out there on this subject; some more convincing than other. And I intend to continue examining this material as it is presented; but honestly, I just have not as of yet heard anything solid enough to convince me that fallen angels actually sired offspring (and I am not new to this issue).

Maybe I am missing something. Maybe I’ve got it wrong (it wouldn’t be the first time or probably the last). But here is how I see the matter: God is not out to short change us on information about things critical to either our faith, or our service to him.

If God felt we needed to develop a doctrinal belief on that issue he would have given it a much greater coverage in the Scriptures. But he did not.

And for that reason I categorize it as an interesting issue but not a critical one. If we are going to ‘Get It Right’ we need to base our beliefs on what is plainly and clearly stated in the Bible, not on fanciful theories and speculations.

I welcome your input. If you would like to share comment or criticism please feel free to do so in the section below. Overly long comments may be edited for length. Also I will NOT post the false teachings of others.

I must say that I also believe this nephilim theory to be contrary to Scripture, a Jewish fable.
I quote an old time writer;

We are told more than once, in the 6th of Genesis of Genesis, that it was MAN’S (italics in the original) sin that was so great in the earth; that it was on account of MAN’S sin that the deluge came. But if the old Jewish and patristic theory, revived by Drs. Kitto and Maitland, be true, then it was not MAN’S sin that wrought the evil, but the sin of angels. For it is clear that they were the guilty parties in this transaction, if they were parties at all. It is against the ‘sons of God’ that the accusations are manifestly pointed. It was their superior guiltiness that brought the world’s criminality to its crisis. If they were not men, what does the judgement that fell upon the world so specially for their sin, mean? Is earth to be punished for the sins of angels? Is man to be swept away because the angels have corrupted themselves? On the other hand, how natural the whole scene, if the sons of God were the Sethites, the representatives of the patriarchal Church! They were the salt of the earth; and the moment that the salt lost its savour, corruption shot through the mass, and earth ripened for the wrath of God.

He goes on

…in what relation do they stand to Adam as a head? If they are semi-angels or semi-demons…what relation can these semi-angels stand in reference to salvation? Are they capable of salvation by Christ? Could they believe on Him who took not on Him the nature of angels, but who took on Him the seed of Abraham?

This is a small extract from a book by Horatius Bonar (1808-1889) “Earth’s Morning”. Pages 369-376 deal with the subject under discussion. I have an original copy and it is well worth reading, and can be read on-line https:babel.hathitrust.org. Bonar was post-trib and pre-millennial. He was the student of Thomas Chalmers who first taught the awful “gap-theory” (long ages between Genesis 1.1-1.2. Bonar held to this theory, but ever remember Darwinism was gaining a very rapid foothold back then.

For my part, when one reads Genesis chapters 4 & 5, it is obvious (to me at least!) that there are two lineages, I believe that after long ages as they became more populous the “sons of God saw the daughters of men… took them wives of all which they chose.” Genesis 6.2. There are many today who think the Book of Enoch should be in the canon of Scripture! if it were inspired-it WOULD have been!

If the book of Enoch were included in the Scriptures it would make the Word of God untrue, as it is filled with nonsense like the flat-earth hoax and 450′ tall giants! Also many other inaccuracies that contradict Scripture.

The issue of where God did direct his anger that caused him to flood the world is to me one of the biggest things that people have to ignore to believe the angel/human hybrid theory. Thanks for that quote.

Again i do not see a verse stating that fallen angels, are now in the Bible, called devils or demons. Why would a fallen angel need to posses a human body or why would a fallen angel dislike/fear water and seek out dry places. Both of those actions of demons: possession of humans and seeking out dry places fit with a drowned disembodied nephilim that drowned in the flood.

d taylor;
Satan is a fallen angel and he is called a devil! And it plainly states he entered into Judas in his act of betrayal. So there you have your requested example of a fallen angel being called a devil and a fallen angel possessing a human. Where is one place the Bible says devils are the ghosts of drowned angel/human hybrids?

As to the rest of your comment you are twisting Scripture to fit your beliefs. There is nowhere in the Bible it says devils fear water or that they seek out dry places. It says they ‘walk’ through dry places not that they prefer them or seek them out. You have injected your own interpretation into that. Mat_12:43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. This doesn’t sound like a dry place (where he finds no rest) is something he is seeking after!

The idea that devils fear water is a Catholic myth (Holy Water). No such notion is presented in the Scriptures for that one either. Sorry. You are trying to make the Bible fit your beliefs instead of making your beliefs fit the Bible.

Why do you refer to fallen angels as devils can you show me where in the Bible this is done. In the Genesis account the verses clearly that the Sons of God were the partakers of this event and in the Old Testament the Sons of God always refer to angelic beings (angels elect and fallen) created by God. Just as Adam was a Son of God because he was not born but created by God.

I call them devils because the Scripture does! At least in the KJV anyway. It is devils that tempt, oppress and posses people. Eph_6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Mat_4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
Mat_9:33 And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.
Luk_8:12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
Eph_6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil .
1Co_10:20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.
1Ti_4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

Those who were once ministering spirits fell from their position and are now oppressive lying spirits. Though many are teaching these oppressive spirits are the disembodied spirits of angel/human hybrids the Bible gives no such teaching. NOT ANYWHERE! This was a Jewish fable popular in the days of the early church; and it is once again gaining popularity in our day. The Apostles warned about giving place to such fables. Sounds like you have chosen to ignore that warning.

Who do you think we war against; the ghosts of departed giants? What are we now – Ghostbusters? Can YOU show that to ME in the Scriptures? No we wrestle against fallen spirits. The ones for whom everlasting fire was prepared.
Mat_25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
The Devil is a fallen angel. And all the angels that followed him are also devils. Not once does the Scripture describe anything to the contrary. But the imagination of man sure comes up with some doozies! Devils are NOT ghosts!

Hi Paul,
Thank you so much for all your diligence and hard work for God’s Kingdom. I truly appreciate your work.
For your consideration and comment (which I much appreciate since I wrestle with this subject too although I tend to lean toward angels):
You mention above that you see no clear scriptural evidence that the giants were nothing more than abnormally large humans with deformities and not much larger than the giants of our day. The Scriptures below indicate to me that these giants were considerably larger than that.
Deut. 3:11 For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man.
Numbers 13:33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
1Samuel 17:4-7 4. And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

(EDIT FOR LENGTH P.B.)

Thank you again, brother.
God Bless you!
Linda
P.S.: I initially found you through John Little’s OmegaShock and subscribe to your newsletter which is a blessing.

Hello Linda;
Thanks for the comment and kind words. I’m glad you enjoy the posts.
My leading on writing this article was not so much to refute anyone’s work but mainly to detail the reasons for my skepticism of those notions. But I will briefly comment on the Scriptures you asked about.

Numbers 13:33 … we saw the giants, …we were in our own sight as grasshoppers,
This is a description relative to the lack of faith of those spies; Joshua and Caleb did not share their opinion, but were of a mind to go slay them. We are not given any specific height of those giants.

1Samuel 17:4-7 4. Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
Goliath was just over nine feet tall. There are many recorded cases of people well over eight feet tall and a few just under nine.

Deut. Og king of Bashan. We are given the measure of his bed not his height. A 13 ft. bed does not mean a 13 ft. tall person (I used to have a 7 ft. California king bed, I’m only 5’8″). I do allow that the size of his bed does indicate someone of enormous size, we just are not informed what that size truly was. Maybe he had a giant ego as well, and loved large furniture? (sarc.)

Although the notion of 450 ft. tall people is not given credence in the Scriptures, it is apparent that there really were gigantic people in those days; but would they greatly dwarf the giants of our days? Maybe somewhat, but I don’t see biblical evidence to show it would be in an overwhelming manner. And even if it was quite a significantly greater height, why would that be proof of angelic ancestry? Is that what causes gigantism in our day? No. Plus all these examples are post-flood. The fallen angel theory says the reason for the flood was to destroy the ‘tainted bloodline’. Did God fail in his his efforts? Did the fallen angels resume their former deeds?

Like I said in the post: this theory leaves so many questions unanswered I just have a hard time taking it too seriously; and if we were supposed to embrace it there would be abundantly clear teaching on it in the Scriptures, BUT THERE IS NOT.

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